alchemical

chaosophia218:

Ulrich Ruosch – Four Elements, “Das Alchemiehandbuch des Appenzeller Wundarztes“, 17th century.

Ulrich Ruosch was a Paracelsian surgeon from Switzerland who produced a beautiful manual which captures the world of 17th-century Alchemy, rife as it is with meaningful connections between the Planets and the Metals and the operations of Cosmic Forces in the sublunary world of the four Elements. 

Ignis is symbolized by pure Fire, and Aqua by sailing vessel crossing the Sea has been used, with more vessels in the background. Aer is purely symbolized by clouds, but for Terra, a rather charming scene of a lush wooded landscape is used. This is a subtle stylistic reference to the correspondence of the Elements with the Strata of the Universe: the Upper Stratum is Fire (Ignis), the Middle Stratum is Air (Aer), while the Earth (Terra) belongs to the Lower Stratum, as does Water (Aqua).